Illinois Teamsters Joint Council 25 and the Labor Alliance for Public Transportation (LAPT) have announced a coalition aimed at defeating the state’s Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project Act, a package of bills backed by Waymo and other AV operators. The union, which represents more than 125,000 members across Illinois and northwest Indiana, argues the legislation would displace commercial driving jobs and introduce unverified technology to public roads. The measures, Senate Bill 3392 and House Bill 5103, would create a framework for pilot deployments and could authorize broader statewide operation three years after pilots begin.
Highlights
- Coalition targets SB3392 (Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project Act) and HB5103 (automated-driving pilot framework) in Springfield
- Bill would limit initial operational design domain to counties with 1 million-plus population, plus Sangamon, Madison, and St. Clair counties
- Statewide AV operation could follow three years after pilots launch, contingent on meeting safety criteria
- Teamsters coalition builds on a 2025 campaign that preserved Illinois transit funding
What the Bills Would Establish
Under SB3392, Illinois regulators could authorize statewide autonomous vehicle operation three years after initial pilot programs begin, provided the technology meets safety requirements defined by the state. HB5103 creates a parallel structure governing the testing of highly automated vehicles, including testing protocols and reporting obligations. Bill text filed with the Illinois General Assembly restricts the initial operational design domain to the state’s most populous counties and a small set of named exceptions.
As of the most recent committee action, SB3392 remained in committee with a rule-extended deadline, and the legislative calendar leaves several weeks for maneuvering before the spring session concludes.
Union Arguments on Jobs and Safety
Teamsters Joint Council 25 President Tom Stiede framed the coalition’s position in direct terms. “Autonomous vehicles are bad for workers and communities,” Stiede said. “That’s why elected officials in Springfield need to kill the AV Pilot Project Act.”
Chris Duncan, a Local 727 member who drives for Keurig Dr Pepper, tied the legislation to the broader displacement question facing commercial drivers. “The question for lawmakers is simple: are you going to protect good, family-sustaining jobs, or are you going to replace them with machines?” Duncan said. “For working people, this isn’t abstract. This fight is for our livelihoods and our families.”
The coalition is the second initiative from the Teamsters-LAPT partnership, which previously organized around the Illinois transit funding package that passed in late 2025. It also echoes earlier Teamsters opposition to Waymo’s expansion in New York and a similar Indiana debate over driverless trucks.
Polling and Public Sentiment
The Teamsters cite polling of Illinois voters showing broad opposition to fully driverless cars and trucks. A January 2026 Impact Research survey commissioned by the union reported that nearly two-thirds of voters oppose allowing any driverless cars or trucks on Illinois roads, with 78 percent opposing driverless heavy trucks specifically. The full polling memo has not been published for independent review. A separate February 2026 survey by ABATE of Illinois found significant concern about driverless taxis among voters in Cook County and the Metro East region.
Broader State-Level Pushback
The Illinois fight fits a pattern of state-level pullback on AV expansion. The Teamsters cite Minnesota, New York, Virginia, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., as jurisdictions that have cancelled or postponed plans to expand AV legalization. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul reportedly stepped back from earlier efforts to legalize robotaxi operations, a reversal the Teamsters have pointed to as a model for Illinois lawmakers.
Waymo, which announced plans earlier this year to begin mapping Chicago streets, did not provide a public response to the coalition announcement, and no AV industry group is quoted in the Teamsters release.
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